Dutch teens' driving license selfies sold on dark web: report

Submitted by Janene Pieters on August 7, 2018 - 13:40

Cybercrime file image. (Rendering: elbpresse/Wikimedia Commons)

Selfies of Dutch teenagers posing with their just obtained driver's license are being sold on the dark web to be used for identity fraud, RTL Nieuws reports based on its own research. The broadcaster found "likely hundreds of potential victims".

Many teenagers take a selfie with their driver's license and post it on social media to show they've passed their test. These photos are often tagged with hashtags like #rijbewijs, #geslaagd or #rijbewijsgehaald, which makes them easy to find. As Instagram supports high quality photos, the details on the license are often clearly legible.

These selfies are being sold on the dark web. On average such a selfie costs 2.50 euros each, but they are more commonly sold in packages of a few dozen selfies for between 50 an 80 euros, according to the broadcaster. They are then used for identity fraud, particularly on online market places like Marktplaats. For example, the criminal offers a smartphone for sale under the name of the victim. To win the buyer's trust, he sends the selfie showing the driver's license. Once the buyer pays, the criminal disappears with the money, and the person in the selfie is labeled as a scammer.

Online trading places are popular platforms for identity fraud, according to the central hotline for identity fraud and -errors CMI. Criminals will also ask a seller to confirm their identity before they will pay for an item, and then uses the sent copy of the ID card to open an expensive telephone contract under the seller's name, for example. The CMI deals with hundreds of such cases each year. The department urges people not to give a copy of an identity card to individuals. Only give ID copies to organizations with a legal task, such as your bank or employer. And if you post a photo of your driver's license on social media, make sure it isn't legible.